This invention relates to liquid outlets. The liquid outlets with which the invention may be associated (but is not to be limited to) may include fountain nozzles, water faucets including domestic water faucets, hose nozzles and the like.
It is an object of this invention to provide liquid outlets whereby the fluid stream provides a source of illumination.
In relation to water fountains it is known to illuminate such water fountains whereby the illumination is by means of reflection from light sources which are generally hidden from view and are directed onto the water jets. While such illumination effects can be quite effective the available light is not used effectively since the visual effect results from that light which is reflected from the water jets to the eye and much of the light is either transmitted past the jets or through the jets. In addition since the light sources must be located around or closely adjacent to the water jets it is often the case that from particular positions around the fountain an observer is dazzled by the lights which impairs the view of the fountain.
Several alternatives to the conventional fountain have been proposed in the past whereby the water is caused to pass into a chamber from which it passes directly into the fountain stream and light is projected from the exterior of the chamber towards the outlet. Examples of such prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,839,994 and French Pat. Specification No. 1.187.689. In each of these instances however the light source is located outside the fluid stream and light is shone into a housing through which the fluid flows on its way to the outlet. These arrangements are clumsy and bulky and there is considerable light loss due to transmission losses between the light entering the chamber and transmission of the light through the chamber to the outlet due to dispersion, reflection and refraction.
It is an object of this invention to provide a liquid outlet whereby light can be introduced into a fluid stream at the outlet, in order that maximum light input is effected with a minimum of losses.
In one form the invention resides in a liquid outlet comprising a housing connected to a source of liquid having an outlet capable of producing a substantially non-turbulent and/or low turbulent stream of liquid at said outlet for a distance beyond said outlet and a light source to introduce light into the stream at the outlet.
In one preferred form of the above invention the light source comprises a lamp located within said housing and supported in a holder which is in heat exchange relationship with the liquid flowing through the housing.
According to a preferred feature of the invention the light source is optically coupled to the outlet.
According to a preferred feature of the above feature the lamp is located adjacent the outlet.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention the light source is located remote from the outlet and a light guide provides the optical coupling between the light source and outlet.
It is the aspect of the invention to eliminate some of the disadvantages referred above in relation to fountains in that it provides for means whereby the fluid stream of the fountain serves as a light guide to deliver light to the portion of the stream at which the stream becomes significantly turbulent or disperses and whereby light is transmitted to the observer by multiple and variable refractions at the liquid/air and/or air/liquid boundary surfaces.
In addition the invention provides a means whereby a surface may be illuminated by having a liquid stream directed at a surface whereby the light is reflected by the surface at the point of impact of the logical stream.
The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: